Thoughts on this anonymous feedback

SonForBBW

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Apr 17, 2016
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I received the following message today regarding the most recent story that I've published here. It was sent anonymously. But I'd like to know... is this something that people, in general, agree with? Is it inherently such a crime to start a series - or, what might become a series - without a chapter number? To me, it seems like this person is overreacting. But I genuinely would like to know your thoughts. Anyway, the message is as follows:

"Title:

I'm planning this to be the first of several stories

Comments:

No chapter number to warn of this ALWAYS earns an automatic rating of 1. Using different titles so the readers have to figure out the order is just as bad."
 
For a multi chapter story to be correctly listed on your story page, you actually need to start from the beginning with Story Title Chap 01 - that way Story Title Chap 02 will be listed in the correct sequence. Use 01, 02, 03 so if/when you get to 11 so your numbering stays in sequence.

But to score your story a 1 because you didn't do this is petty - but the one-bomb will get swept so don't fret too much.

Having said that, it's a (reasonable - ish) pet hate of readers who rant against writers who launch a multi-part story and fail to finish. You're seeing the reverse of this mind set - many readers now refuse to start a new multi-part story unless there is a guaranteed completion. Many writers put a note at the beginning of the first chapter saying their whole story IS written and will be posted regularly.
 
Delete it or ignore it, as you prefer. This is one ( or maybe a couple ) of jackasses who've been doing this for years.

Readers don't seem to pay any attention to it, because it's slapped on anything that's the first ( or potential first ) chapter of a series that doesn't have a chapter designation. They've obviously figured out it's useless commentary for determining whether the story is worth reading, or even truly represents an "unfinished story" because the comment often gets splattered on stories that have an ending, but simply leave openings to continue on.
 
I agree that this is an overreaction, especially since you included that note at the start of your story - it's not like the guy had to read several pages to find out that this was only part 1.

For a multi chapter story to be correctly listed on your story page, you actually need to start from the beginning with Story Title Chap 01 - that way Story Title Chap 02 will be listed in the correct sequence. Use 01, 02, 03 so if/when you get to 11 so your numbering stays in sequence.

You can leave the first chapter unnumbered and it will still list properly - see my stories page for an example.

One thing that really seems to break chaptering is multi-level titles like "Blah Blah Part 1 Ch. 03"; the chaptering code seems to identify both the "Part 1" and the "Ch. 03" bits as chapter indicators, leading to a confusing mess.
 
It's an absurd and petty reaction by the reader, but it's also a problem that's easy to fix.

I actually have a series that I did not originally intend as a series, so the chapters are not numbered. I intend to publish a few more chapters as semi-standalone stories with the titles in alphabetical order so on the submission list they will appear in the order in which they were published.
 
Happened to me as well, some time ago. I was upset at the time, but since then have learned to shrug those comments off. Well eventually. If it upsets you a lot, just delete it.

Edited: Chances are that even had you put a 'ch 01' on your story, your anon reader would find something else that 'automatically' justifies a vote of one star. Those guys just enjoy bringing someone down.
 
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1 bomb

Rating a story as a 1 means that they hated it. They don't have to tell you why, tho some readers will.

This doesn't mean your tale is actually bad... it just means that one reader saw the option, "I hated it" and did so...

Ignore it and chase your muse.
 
Anonymous ... Hmmmmmmmm

I'm going to address the generality here, not the specificity. In other words, I am not going to address your query per se, but the fact that people who respond anonymously tend to be negative, if not out-right troll. We all are adults here, therefore we should not cast a negative comment without offering some type of constructive criticism. Furthermore, we should not do so while hiding behind a veil of anonymity. I want to believe that we all can stand criticism without getting into a pissing contest. It just seems to me that replying to anything under the banner of anonymous is taking the coward's way out.
 
Your premise might work for you; it doesn't work for me. Most, by far, anonymous comments on my stories are positive, not negative. And I don't post here to learn to write from some stranger. I post stories to entertain. The anonymous comments I get, on balance, show that I do entertain quite enough to be posting stories here. This isn't a critique site and I ignore those who want to make it such. Invariably they are just puffing themselves up about something they only know enough about to do themselves and others damage.
 
I'm with Pilot on this - my anon comments pool would be 95% positive, and some of them are very, very moving indeed.

The assumption that anon = troll isn't always the case. Trolling is trolling, I agree, but the majority of anons that I see are courteous, appreciative, and polite. Maybe I'm lucky.
 
I'm with Pilot on this - my anon comments pool would be 95% positive, and some of them are very, very moving indeed.

The assumption that anon = troll isn't always the case. Trolling is trolling, I agree, but the majority of anons that I see are courteous, appreciative, and polite. Maybe I'm lucky.

Mine are mostly like that too and some have been quite moving, especially when a reader relates it back to something personal that affected them deeply. The odd troll is a price worth paying imho. And even some of the trolls can be quite moving when you consider the personal experiences and life experiences that have led them to such a bitter and twisted outlook on life. Kind of sad, really. I know we don't all bounce around chirping like little birds but still, it's moving in its own way. It may hurt us a little as writers but think what it must be like to be so bitter and twisted all the time. Eeeeeek. Pass.
 
I'm going to address the generality here, not the specificity. In other words, I am not going to address your query per se, but the fact that people who respond anonymously tend to be negative, if not out-right troll.

Not in my experience. I've posted nineteen stories here and I think I've had one nasty comment from an anon, versus dozens and dozens that were positive or constructive.

We all are adults here, therefore we should not cast a negative comment without offering some type of constructive criticism. Furthermore, we should not do so while hiding behind a veil of anonymity.

Unless your RL name is "Kurrginator X", you're hiding behind a veil of anonymity right now. So am I, so is just about everybody else on this forum. For good reason.
 
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